Most airports have an air traffic control (ATC) center to coordinate the take-offs, landings, and the general airplane traffic around the airport. Pilots speak via radio to the ATC center to request permission or to receive instructions therefrom. However, as more and more aircraft crowd the skies it is becoming difficult for ATC centers to process the oral communications from so many aircraft.
Another difficulty is that pilots and air traffic controllers may not speak the same language. In such a situation it is difficult for important information to be communicated therebetween. Even if the pilots and air traffic controllers speak the same language, a misunderstanding of instructions or flight identification information may result in an unsafe flying condition. For example, a pilot flying an aircraft having the flight identifier AAL1234 may respond to ATC instructions for flight ALL1234 because the flight identifiers sound very similar.
Still another difficulty is that each ATC center typically broadcasts communications on a single radio frequency. Consequently, pilots listening to that frequency must hear every communication between the ATC center and every other airplane communicating therewith. It may be difficult for the pilot to filter out information pertaining to his or her airplane from the constant stream of irrelevant messages.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative to oral communication between an aircraft and an ATC center so that routine requests and instructions are not given via voice.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of communication between an aircraft and an ATC center that enables an ATC center to manage a large number of aircraft simultaneously.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of communication between an aircraft and an ATC center that is not unduly burdensome on a pilot, yet ensures that the pilot is made aware of essential air traffic information.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of communication that incorporates standard ATC nomenclature therein so that the method can be easily adopted by the aircraft industry with a minimum of training.